he Yankees often telegraph their off-season strategy months in advance, sending signals to the rest of baseball that a certain free agent is all theirs. But in the case of starter Pedro Martínez, the Yankees seem hesitant.

Even after the principal owner George Steinbrenner met Martínez last week, and even after the Yankees were told that the Boston Red Sox had guaranteed Martínez a three-year, $37.5 million contract, the Yankees still had not made Martínez an offer, according to two baseball officials.

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The Yankees do not know for certain that the Red Sox have offered Martínez that deal; their initial proposal was for two years and $25.5 million, and an option. In any case, a person close to Martínez said Martínez was aiming much higher.

The person said Martínez wanted a four-year, $60 million contract, basing his logic on the $15-million-a-year deal Kevin Brown signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998. Brown was 33 then, the same age Martínez is now.

The Yankees' indecision on Martínez could be a signal that Steinbrenner does not plan to go against the advice of his baseball executives. After meeting Martínez on Tuesday, Steinbrenner delegated potential negotiations to General Manager Brian Cashman.

When Steinbrenner wants a player, he often negotiates with him directly, as he did with David Wells in 2001 and with Gary Sheffield last year.

Martínez's agent Fernando Cuza could not be reached for comment, but he was probably disappointed to have left that meeting with Steinbrenner without an offer.

Without martinez on the Red Soxz, we won't hear that funny chant, "Who's your daddy!"

Sounds like Steinny boi doesn't want to get in the way of breaking up the Soxs.

The Red Soxs has been his biggest money draw ever and as long as they are as great as they are they will pull in the money he needs to attract other players.

sorry Rian baseball is made in the off-season with deals like this. Apparently George the Rat thinks he's gonna buy his way into the 2005 World Series...Is he fucking wrong again.......I'm gonna enjoy watching his fat Yankee face explode with colesterol when he looses again.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The megadeal involving Randy Johnson, Shawn Green and Javier Vazquez grew to 10 players Saturday, with the New York Yankees, Arizona and Los Angeles hoping to present the proposed trade to the commissioner's office soon for approval.

Pitchers Kaz Ishii, Mike Koplove and Brandon Weeden are now part of the swap, a baseball official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The teams were aiming to put the whole deal down on paper this weekend and give it to the commissioner's office perhaps by Monday. The deal needs permission because it involves more than $1 million -- as it stands, the Yankees would pay $2 million of Ishii's contract.

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Plus, there might be a spinoff to the deal. There's speculation the Dodgers might get Vazquez from the Yankees and then trade the pitcher to the Chicago White Sox.

Johnson remains the centerpiece of the trade, with the Yankees trying to get the five-time Cy Young winner from Arizona. New York also would acquire Ishii, a left-hander who went 13-8 with a 4.71 ERA for Los Angeles last season.

Johnson has a no-trade clause, but wants to play for the Yankees. Green also has a no-trade provision, and the Dodgers outfielder has not yet waived it to play for Arizona.

The Diamondbacks might be able to get Green to come to the desert, though -- his former agent, Jeff Moorad, is Arizona's new chief executive officer.

If the deal goes to the commissioner's office, the Yankees plan to ask for a 72-hour window to negotiate a contract extension with Johnson. The 41-year-old lefty is owed $16 million in the last year of his contract.

Green might use that same time frame to see if he can work an extension with the Diamondbacks. He is set to make $16 million in 2005, after slumping this past season to .266 with 28 home runs and 86 RBIs.

Both the Diamondbacks and Dodgers would receive four players in the trade, while the Yankees would get a pair of pitchers.

Koplove, who went 4-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 76 relief appearances with Arizona, would go to Los Angeles with Vazquez. The Dodgers also would get two top prospects from the Yankees, catcher Dioner Navarro and third baseman Eric Duncan.

Arizona would wind up with Green and pitchers Brad Penny, Yhency Brazoban and Weeden. All of them played in the Dodgers' system last season.

Weeden was the Yankees' top draft pick in 2002 and was traded to Los Angeles with Jeff Weaver in last winter's trade that sent Kevin Brown to New York.

Updated on Saturday, Dec 18, 2004 6:27 pm EST

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believe is false."- William Casey, CIA Director 1981

Yes to that heli. I brought a few gloves, a bat, (no, not what you think Woodrow) and some baseballs......just played catch with one guy. I'll be happy to bring the stuff again. Playa ball ought be very very interesting don't you think?

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believe is false."- William Casey, CIA Director 1981

NEW YORK (AP) -- Major league baseball's season opener will be played by the Yankees and Red Sox in New York on Sunday night, April 3.

The game, originally scheduled for Monday, will start at 8:05 p.m. and be televised by ESPN2.

Against the Yankees in the AL championship series, Boston became the first major league team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series. The Red Sox went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals and win the World Series for the first time since 1918.

While the dates for the remainder of the opening three-game series haven't been finalized, the Yankees and Red Sox probably will play Tuesday and Wednesday.

The following week, New York is at Boston for the Red Sox home opener on April 11 at Fenway Park.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believe is false."- William Casey, CIA Director 1981

so cowboy, I was thinking of your playa baseball game....played with golfballs.....and running backwards around the bases......so does that mean running backwards from first to third, or running forwards from third to first?

In a mostly semi-unrelated topic, my middle girl absolutely refused to engage in a soccer game the one season I signed her up; she would participate in practice, but come game time, she would lie down on the ground and play with the grass or walk the white lines up and down and across the field, disregarding hte ball moving past her feet and the throng of children all vying for toeholds and attention and the crowds of family on either side of hte field yelling "Sarah, get the ball! RUN!"

Once the coach on the other side, upon running past her with the direction of hte game, couldn't keep himself from stopping, picking her up and kissing hte top of her curly little head (which she seemed to completely disregard).

Giants baseball getting ready to roll too...nothing like taking the ferry to the ball game in beautiful SBC Park......bratwurst there is divine, Rian? SF Burners? Trust me, this is cosmic and you can riff on the energy waves there.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believe is false."- William Casey, CIA Director 1981